Nuclear stakeholders celebrate “powerful clean energy comeback story”
The Palisades nuclear power plant. (Photo: Holtec International)
With a $1.52 billion loan from the Department of Energy and $1.3 billion in grants to rural electric cooperatives near the plant, the ambitious plans to restart Michigan’s Palisades nuclear plant next fall are moving ahead.
A student demonstrates VR models of fission and fusion energy systems. (Photo: University of Michigan)
A new course at the University of Michigan offered by the Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences (NERS) Department seeks to address the lack of community engagement in the design of energy technologies by pioneering a socially engaged approach.
Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert, Mich. (Photo: Entergy)
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is holding a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, October 1, to provide information and take comments on the proposed reissuance of a surface water permit for Palisades nuclear plant in Covert, Mich.
Jeff Waksman (left), Project Pele program manager for DOD-SCO, and John Wagner, INL director, at the planned testing site. (Photo: DOD)
The Department of Defense announced September 24 that it has broken ground on the site at Idaho National Laboratory’s Critical Infrastructure Test Range Complex (CITRC) where Project Pele, a transportable 1–5 MWe microreactor, will be tested. The DOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) is in charge, on a mission to prove that a mobile microreactor can help meet the DOD’s increasing demand for resilient carbon-free energy for mission-critical operations in remote and austere environments.
A still shot from the Senate ENR Hearing to Examine Fusion Energy Technology Development.
Hours before the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) opened a scheduled September 19 hearing on fusion energy technology development, CNN published an article titled “The US led on nuclear fusion for decades. Now China is in a position to win the race.” The article was entered into the hearing record, but senators had already gotten the message.
From left, NNSA administrator Jill Hruby; state secretary Ana Tinca of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; CNCAN president Cantemir Ciurea-Ercau; ORS director Kristin Hirsch; and U.S. ambassador Kathleen Kavalec.(Photo: NNSA)
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and Romania’s National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) recently celebrated 15 years of collaboration in advancing radiological security.
The Darlington nuclear power plant. (Photo: OPG)
Ontario Power Generation’s expansive refurbishment project on its four 878-MWe CANDU units at the Darlington nuclear power plant is proceeding faster than expected, OPG announced on September 17.
Heat pipes transfer heat out of the eVinci microreactor’s core and allow for air cooling without using water or pressurized gas. (Photo: DOE)
Westinghouse Electric Company has completed the front-end engineering and experiment design (FEEED) for a prototype microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory, the Department of Energy recently announced. The one-fifth scale version of eVinci, Westinghouse’s 5-MWe sodium-cooled heat pipe design, is one of three reactors that could be tested at the National Reactor Innovation Center’s (NRIC) DOME test bed “as early as 2026,” the DOE said.
The plenary at the 68th General Conference. (Photo: IAEA/ A. Barber Huescar)
Eleven countries have been newly elected to serve on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-member Board of Governors for the 2024–2025 term. The election took place on September 19 at the plenary session of the 68th IAEA General Conference.
Before shutdown of the plant, the working cooling towers of TMI-1 are on the right. The dormant cooling towers on the left are for Unit 2, which was permanently closed because of the 1979 accident. (Photo: Constellation Energy)
Nuclear powerhouse Constellation announced today the signing of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft that will pave the way for the restart of Three Mile Island Unit 1—under a new name to honor Chris Crane, former chief executive of Exelon when Constellation was part of the larger company.
Turkey Point nuclear power plant. (Photo: FPL)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced this week that it has restored the expiration dates of Turkey Point nuclear power plant's Units 3 and 4 subsequent license renewals (SLRs) to July 19, 2052, and April 10, 2053, respectively.
Students using an ANS Visualizing Radiation Cloud Chamber. (Photo: Grace Stanke)
Nuclear science and technology is uniquely positioned to be a gateway for curiosity and exploration for students in grades K–12. Its study examines the literal fabric of reality, it has applications from the tiniest to the grandest of scales. It’s a constantly evolving industry with a bright future of discoveries and new technologies, and it’s an essential factor in our global effort to reduce carbon emissions and transition to cleaner energy sources. Frankly, learning about and doing things with atoms is pretty cool, from a kid’s perspective.